I'm sorry to hear about your condition and I hope the surgery goes well. I know you mentioned you would be on bedrest after the surgery. Will you be able to conduct a phone interview from your bed? Personally, I would not advise telling the Adcom of your condition. It just doesn't seem relevant and ...

From what I've read, it sounds like you would have a decent shot at one of the programs you identified. I think it is interesting that you started a company and have some "entrepreneurial" experience. I'd try not to make an excuse for your undergraduate performance, instead, focus on how w...

I agree with the previous poster's advice, however, this is only the case if you are certain of your supervisor's response. While many managers are, understandably, a little upset when their employees leave for business school, it is usually an emotion that is short lived. A decent manager wants the...

If you have an Indian MBA, another challenge will be to explain why you really need another MBA. You'll need to articulate how this degree will help you achieve goals that you can't achieve without it. This will be especially challenging because you DO have a lot of good work experience. An adcom mi...

Most importantly, check your application forms carefully for typos and grammatical errors. These will reflect poorly on your candidacy. As for awards - these should be things that come to mind easily and that occurred in or after college (in fact, I would veer away from listing many college awards a...

I have a great deal of experience as an interviewer, and, while I think it is nice to get a thank you, I think it would be a bit creepy if someone tracked down my contact information. Then again, I've never been in a situation where an interviewee didn't have my email address (was the interview set ...

I just looked at your list again - Columbia may be willing to defer your admittance for the January start class (I'm assuming you've applied for fall). The January start class is generally a little less competitive and I've heard they are more flexible in this regard (but no guarantees!).

I think some of it is to better understand someone's position. If you are at a start-up or an entrepreneur (or a teacher or in non-profit work) then it is understandable to have a lower wage. If you work at an investment bank but only claim to make $40K then it is clear that you have a more clerical...